School slaps ban on homemade cakes

School slaps ban on homemade cakes

Friday 4 June 2004 21.03 EDT
First published on Friday 4 June 2004 21.03 EDT

Homemade cakes and "over-sunny weather" were yesterday added to the long list of threats to the well-being of children.

Parents at a Wiltshire primary were told that butterfly buns and Victoria sponges would no longer be welcome at fundraising events, because of potential insurance claims over anything not bought at a shop.

The ban, which also prevents pupils bringing their own cakes from home to share on birthdays, came as Derby city council advised teachers to postpone trips until cooler weather because of skin cancer fears if children spend too long in the sun.

That caused wry smiles in Derby but the reaction to Wiltshire county council's initiative was more explosive. A Tory councillor, John Thompson, described the letter from Lisa Tudor, headteacher at Crudwell Church of England primary, as preposterous.

"The world is full of people blowing one another up and we're worried about killer cream cakes," he said. "Soon we'll be wrapping our children up in cotton wool."

Ms Tudor was apologetic in her letter, but urged parents to balance their disappointment with awareness that a grubby-fingered fairy cake might trigger a food poisoning compensation claim.

The county council said a circular had only contained "guidelines" and Crudwell was the only school so far to ban homemade fare. "Schools should avoid selling homemade products," a spokesman said, "as they cannot be completely sure about the conditions in which the food items have been stored or prepared.

"Such foods include cream or other dairy products, mayonnaise, eggs, fish and meat. The person who provides the food, the school or the county council could be held liable if somebody did become ill."

Derby put up a similar defence of its circular, Sun Awareness, which advises: "Try to plan external activities - short-duration trips, external lessons, sports days - for times when the sun is likely to be at its lowest."

It also recommends a supply of sunscreen, but only spray, as teachers should not make physical contact by rubbing cream on to children's skins.